This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Arts & Entertainment

Mixology at Mallory's -- The Great Kirkland Cocktail Demonstration

Professional cocktail engineer John Ueding anchored this party with drink know-how.

FIRST THERE WAS the Cosmo made popular by the characters from “Sex in the City,” then came the Old Fashioned thrown back a gallon at a time by '60s era advertising king and chain-smoking lady’s man Don Draper on “Mad Men.” The average American’s interest in cocktails may slowly be sneaking past the usual Lemon Drop guzzled by college students and soccer moms.

Phrases like “spirit-forward” and “balanced cocktail” keep popping up in publications throughout the region. But, what does it all mean?

Anybody should (theoretically) be able to put together a drinkable vodka-soda, though we all know what happens when amateurs attempt something even slightly more complicated like a whiskey sour, or its more recognizable cousin the Margarita -- which, is technically a tequila daisy. To counteract all the horrible sugary cocktails made by well-intentioned, yet terribly off course home mixologists, my friend Mallory MacDonald put together a cocktail demonstration party taught by Eastside Bartender Association president John Ueding.

Find out what's happening in Kirklandwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“Welcome to ‘Mixology at Mal’s,’” MacDonald said, kicking off a night full of witty banter, furious note-taking and discerning swills in her Kirkland kitchen. MacDonald is at the epicenter of a diverse group of friends all earnestly seeking the knowledge to make a good cocktail.

“You should be able to taste all of the ingredients equally in a good cocktail,” says Ueding, a self-proclaimed “spirits geek” who showed up wearing Mr. Rogers-like sweater, complete with leather lapels. He claims the aforementioned sugary messes are often made to cover up low quality alcohol.

Find out what's happening in Kirklandwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The cocktail professor obviously takes his job seriously, imparting beverage history to receptive students who only needed to be hushed occasionally.

BEFORE THE REVOLUTION, American men apparently had plenty of time to sit around making a perfect bowl of punch. Once colonists were busy fighting the Redcoats and then building a nation, no one had time for the laborious punch of yore. Enter the quick-to-make, single-serving cocktail, mostly in the form of “nogs” and “flips” -- men could quench their thirst in a fraction of the time it used to take just by stopping into a local saloon.

Though nearly all mixed drinks containing spirits are commonly referred to as “cocktails,” there are really two distinct categories. The biggest category is the “sour,” containing a spirit, sugar, citrus and water. Examples are the Daisy, Margarita or Corpse Reviver. The “cocktail” proper is more spirit-forward and contains a spirit, sugar, water and bitters. The Martini and Manhattan are two commonly known proper cocktails.

All of this background was explained while Ueding juiced a number of citrus fruits -- limes, lemons, oranges. Freshly squeezed juice is the only way to go, he says.

“Mix all your ingredients first, adding the ice last. That way, if you walk away for a minute, the ice doesn’t melt and dilute your drink,” advises Ueding.

Even though Ueding has been mixing drinks for years, most recently as the bar manager at in the , he still maintains that one should always measure ingredients to create a balanced cocktail.

“This is particularly important in a complicated cocktail calling for, say, a quarter ounce (of a strong tasting liqueur) -- you’ll never hit a quarter ounce head-on,” he says. Too much or too little will ruin a delicate cocktail.

A properly demonstrated two-handed shake brought together the ingredients in our first sour, which followed the sour “formula” of 3, 2, 1 -- three parts spirit, two parts citrus, one part sugar (plus ice). He got more specific for the ratio-challenged among us:

  • 1 ½ oz. gin (like the locally produced Voyager out of Woodinville)
  • 1 oz. citrus juice (lemon or lime)
  • ¼ oz. Cocchi (or other fortified wine like Lillet Blanc)
  • ¼ oz. simple syrup.

Shake vigorously with ice, though not like a showy barman. Ueding can’t stand bartenders who shake overhead (psst -- is he shaking it above his head in his About Town profile?). Then, pour through a tea strainer into a cocktail glass. The double straining ensures removal of the layer of ice that can dilute and distort the cocktail’s flavor profile.

Next up was Ueding’s version of the Corpse Reviver No. 2, or a Hair of the Dog cocktail meant to wake you up with its bright flavor. One snarky guest known as J.T.T. slipped in a, “Funny -- I used to drink one every morning and now I know why.” Shake the following ingredients with ice:

  • 1 oz. gin (Voyager)
  • 1 oz. Cocchi (or Lillet Blanc)
  • 1 oz. Cointreau (the original Triple Sec containing more orange oil, less sugar)
  • 1 oz. lemon juice.

“It’s always important to taste the juice when using fresh citrus since it is a natural product and the flavor varies,” says Ueding. Normally, he adds a tiny float of absinthe (such as Pacifique) to each drink to brighten the cocktail.

The last sour we sampled twice -- once with turbinado (or raw sugar) syrup and once with simple syrup. The turbinado added a bit more rich complexity to the drink. For the whiskey sour (modified with orange) mix and shake together with ice:

  • 3 parts whiskey (1 ½ oz.)
  • 2 parts citrus (3/4 oz. lemon juice plus ½ oz. of the less acidic orange juice)
  • 1 part sugar (1/2 oz. turbinado syrup)
  • a splash of bitters, if you’re in the mood.

Long drinks are basically sours modified with the addition of soda water and are served in a tall glass to let the bubbles rise.

THE CROWD ERUPTED in cries of joy when Ueding announced the Manhattan, ushering in the proper cocktail portion of the evening. These drinks should always be stirred, never shaken, according to Ueding throwing decades of Bond wisdom out the window. English writer Somerset Maugham agrees and is quoted in “Schott’s Food & Drink Miscellany” (2004) saying, “A Martini should always be stirred, not shaken, so that the molecules lie sensuously on top of one another.”

Instead of the 3, 2, 1 ratio of the sour, cocktails use more of a 2 to 1 ratio of spirits to sugar, plus bitters to cut the astringency of the alcohol. The Manhattan goes like this -- stir vigorously with ice and double strain:

  • 2 parts bourbon (or rye whiskey)
  • 1 part sweet sherry or sweet vermouth
  • 1-2 dashes of bitters (bitters can be purchased at cocktailkingdom.com).

We were then entertained with a fun party trick. Ueding peeled a piece of skin off an orange and squeezed out the oils while flicking his lighter. Result -- flaming orange oil sure to impress even the most slightly inebriated crowd.

I wish I had it in me to like the cold violet cocktail Arsenic and Lace, one of Ueding’s favorites. It looks so amazing and you just know that sipping it with a satisfied smile on your face confers a secret sort of honor on your sophisticated palate. Though it is not for me, an Arsenic and Lace cocktail goes like this:

  • 2 parts gin
  • 1 part sugar (1/2 oz. dry vermouth, ½ oz. Creme de Violette)

Stir the ingredients with ice and strain into a martini glass that has been rinsed with absinth; serve with a curl of lemon peel.

The creative juices started to flow as guests attempted to create a story for a new cocktail. The winner was Dustin’s story of “The Old Scoundrel” -- a sort of “Mad Men” meets mafia scenario that takes place in a brick alley, the characters of which might be a bit unsavory but still nicely dressed (think bowler hat). This drink, he implied, would be straight -- spirit-forward in craft bar speak.

Ueding didn’t even bat an eye, “riffing a cocktail” to match Dustin’s story:

  • 2 oz. bourbon
  • ¼ oz. sherry
  • ¼ oz. Chartreuse
  • a dash of bitters

He described his creation as having an “herby funkiness” and “the mustiness that follows old scoundrels.”

----------

John Ueding will be serving his last drinks as a Trellis bartender on Friday, February 3, moving on to a job building spirit portfolios with Click Wholesale Distributing. So stop in and order something special -- ask him about an unusual spirit.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

More from Kirkland